Spark-plug cleaner



.Fan. 15 1924.

E. E. SNIDER SPARK PLUG CLEANER Filed Dec. 11, 1920 W A i i Patented Alan. 1%, lg l.

warren stares PATENT @FIFHQE.

nanmr n. snrnna, or woman, Kansas.

SPARK-PLUG CLEANER.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST E. SNIDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of \Vichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark-Plug Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in spark IU plug cleaners.

An important object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the above named character whereby spark plugs or the like may be readily cleaned of accumulated carbon.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a spark plug cleaner utilizing a blast of sand or other abrasive material, which is returned automatically to the hopper and used over again, and when the abrasive material becomes pulverized it is discharged through the air vent and also the pulverized particles from the spark plug.

A further object is to provide an apparatus as of the above mentioned character which is extremely simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and convenient to use.

In the drawings, formin a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like characters throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my invention, showing the spark lug in place, the air inlet connection, and t e air vent.

Fig. 2 is a detailed horizontal section of the air vent.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the device constituting my invention, and

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the device taken on line 4-4, Fig. 3.

In the drawings, the casing 5, which is preferably rectangular in shape, carries a cover 6, separated from the casing by a layer of felt 7 around its engaging edges. The

cover 6 is provided with an air vent 8 having a screen 9 mounted to cover the opening, said vent. serving the purpose of relieving the pressure within the casing 5 when the device is in operation. There is also an opening 10 formed in the cover 6 for the re ception of a dirty spark plug 11. To facilitate the insertion of the spark plug 11 in the opening 10, I provide a collarlQ formed of leather or other flexible material suitably mounted within the opening 10. It,

will thus be seen that the screwing of the 13 for the purpose of holding the sand or other abrasive material. Secured to the lower extremity of the hopper 13 is a U-shaped outlet pipe 1 1 which terminates within the hopper 13 near its upper extremity and in close proximity to the opening 10 as shown at 15. It will thus be seen that the abrasive material will be returned to the hopper 13 after it has served its purpose of cleaning the spark plug.

An air inlet pipe 16 communicates with the base of the U-shaped portion of the pipe 14 near the bottom of the casing 5 and terminates' at the end of the casing 5 for connection with an external source of air pressure as shown at 17. v

In operation, air under pressure s admitted through the connection 17 and pipe 16 into the pipe 14. This causes a partial vacuum near the inlet of pipe 14, while the air above the abrasive material within the hopper 13 is at atmospheric pressure. The result will be that the abrasive material will be caused to enter pipe 14, and be carried through the same to mix with the air flow traveling in the same direction as the abrasive material at the junction of said air Bit and abrasive material flow and be agitated by the inrushing air from pipe 15. Upon leaving pipe 14, as at 15, the stream of abrasive material carried by the air blast will be driven by the latter against the sparking end of the spark plug, the abrasive material serving to remove the particles of carbon which have accumulated on the plug. In this manner the spark plug is quickly cleansed. This pulverized carbon, dust and small particles of the abrasive material which have become so small as to be worthless, are then ejected through the screen 9 of the air vent 8, in this .manner the remainder of the abrasive material is kept in I a clean condition, the screen being provided of such fineness to eliminate only the objectionable elements contained within the hopper. It is apparent from Fig. 3 that the abrasive material is returned to the hopper after it has served its purpose and may be used many times. It is thus seen that a number of plugs may be cleaned one after the other, without the necessity of supplying additional abrasive material due to loss. It

will be noticed that the apparatus operates after the fashion of an injector, the blast through the pipe 16 opening as an injector acting within pipe 14 to draw the loose abrasive material from the hopper and discharge the same at 15, against the spark plug.

" It is to be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention of the claim.

I claim A device for cleaning spark plugs comprising a casing, a hopper for loose abrasive material arranged within and supported from the upper edge elements of the side and end walls of the casing and sealed with respect to the remainder of the. casing; a cover for the casing, an article support through the cover of the casing at one end thereof adjacent the sloping floor of the hopper, a vent in the cover of the casing towards the opposite end thereof; a U- shaped pipe connecting to the base of the hopper and upwardly leading from the base portion of the casing through the sloping floor of the hopper to a point below the article support; blast means connectin with the base of the said U-shaped pipe an so as to inject a fiow of air in the axial direction of the flow of the abrasive material L from the hopper; a screen in the vent of the proper mesh to permit escape of air and.

abrasive material into the bottom of the hopper.

ERNEST E. SNIDER.

Witnesses:

M. Y. CHARLES, W. A. URTHERGOL 

